Many surgical procedures require the use of a bone graft to augment natural bone during a surgical procedure. In orthopedic surgical procedures, particularly joint replacement surgery, certain implantable components must be affixed to bone. The bone quality of a patient, in an area at which a component must be implanted, must be sufficient to enable the effective anchoring of the implant to the bone. During some procedures the bone graft can be properly placed before the implantable component is installed. In some cases, however, it is not until after the implant has been installed that it becomes apparent that there is a need to augment existing bone with a bone graft.
Hip replacement revision surgery is an example of a procedure where bone may need to be augmented after an implantable component is installed. In a total hip replacement surgery, an acetabular cup is implanted in the acetabulum and a femoral component is implanted in the femur of a patient. While some bone ingrowth may occur about an outer portion of the acetabular cup, voids can form between the implanted acetabular shell and the patient's natural acetabulum. This can result in insufficient fixation of the acetabular shell component in the acetabulum. Correction typically requires that the shell be removed and reinstalled after proper augmenting of the bone or re-reaming of the acetabular cavity. Such correction therefore incurs the cost associated with use of an operating room, the cost of the implant and the risk to the patient.
It would be desirable to provide a system and technique to deliver a bone graft to enhance fixation of a prosthetic joint component without having to remove the previously implanted prosthesis.